Brissa Romero disappearance: Police release new details in search for missing Carpentersville teen
UPDATE: Brissa Romero's vehicle found in search for missing Carpentersville teen
CARPENTERSVILLE, Ill. — Desperate for answers, friends and family members continue to search for a missing Carpentersville teen who was last seen on Monday.
Brissa Romero, 17, was on her way to a holiday party at Bowlero in Vernon Hills on Dec. 4, but never made it. Before it was shut off, her cell phone last pinged to the area of the bowling alley.
Romero is 5-feet tall and weighs 115 pounds. She was last seen wearing a green long-sleeve shirt, black vest, black ripped jeans, and short black Ugg boots.
Police have launched search efforts on the ground and in the air – in hopes to bring her home.
"We will find you, we will get you home," said Dulce Romero, Brissa’s sister.
17-year-old suburban girl reported missing; last seen near Bowlero in Vernon Hills
A 17-year-old girl has been reported missing out of suburban Carpentersville.
On Saturday, friends and loved ones organized another search party in Vernon Hills.
With each passing day, the worry is weighing heavier on Brissa’s family. They say she has never run away and cares deeply for those closest to her.
"She was talking about my mom’s Christmas present with us on Monday," said Dulce Romero.
Now Brissa’s phone is off, her car is gone, and police are revealing that a dive into her social media accounts shows no outgoing activity since Monday.
That's when Dulce Romero says Brissa’s employer was throwing a holiday party at Bowerlo.
Beforehand, the teen stopped at her cousin's house in Des Plaines, where surveillance video shows her arriving around 5:30 p.m., then leaving about an hour later.
Still, police say she never made it to her next stop.
"Even her friends that she told she was 2 minutes away, they never saw her," said Dulce Romero.
As relatives search relentlessly, police have used drones to comb the area overhead.
The Carpentersville Police Department, who is leading the investigation, says it has surveyed ponds near the bowling alley to look for clues of Brissa’s vehicle, a gray 2008 Nissan Rouge with Illinois license plates CZ64618.
"Officers actively patrolled other areas and hotels looking for her and the vehicle. License plate readers were checked for any recent activations and the Illinois Tollway Authority checked for IPASS transponder activation. Brissa does not have a history of running away from home," said Deputy Chief Kevin Stankowitz of the Carpentersville Police Department.
Police also say there is a sticker to the right of the teen’s rear license plate that depicts the outline of a black cartoon coyote.
The youngest of five siblings, Brissa graduated from Barrington High School last spring.
"She likes to talk to people, she likes to be outgoing," said Dulce Romero. "At the same time, I feel like people can take advantage of her kind heart."
A student at Harper College, Brissa is studying to be a sonogram nurse – working two jobs to pay for school.
"We’re trying to find more and more leads on who she’s connected to, the recent people she has talked to," said Dulce Romero. "In our hearts we know that you are OK."
Romero’s family is now offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to her return.
In addition to assistance from the Vernon Hills Police Department, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has offered resources to enhance the investigation.
Anyone with information about where Brissa might be, is asked to contact Sgt. Webb with the Carpentersville Police Department at 847-551-3481 or may contact QuadCom Dispatch at 847-428-8784.
Tips may also be reported anonymously to the Carpentersville Police Department by CLICKING HERE.